Numbers Game | Spring sports hitting playoff gear
It's crunch time for the spring high school playoff season around Manatee County, and there were some marquee national events.
The local junior college has three teams flourishing this spring, while minor league baseball is back at McKechnie Field.
So let's examine some top digits in this week's Numbers Game.
.847
Combined winning percentage for Bayshore, Braden River and Lakewood Ranch's softball teams entering this week's district tournament action. All three are the top seeds in their respective classifications. The Bruins are competing in Class 5A-District 11, the Pirates are the top dog in 7A-9 and the Mustangs lead 8A-8. All three teams feature explosive offenses, solid pitching and solid defenses, which have created the recipe for 50 total victories this season. And that winning percentage could be higher had the two East Manatee programs not squared off against each other during the regular season.
90,104
YouTube video views, as of Monday afternoon, highlighting Ernie Els' seven-putt -- including several misses from inside 3 feet -- in Thursday's opening round of last week's Masters tournament. The Big Easy's miscues added up to a 10 on the first hole of his 22nd Masters, and he ended up finishing three shots away from playing on the weekend with a 9-over par total for two days.
7,253
Approximate one-way mileage IMG Academy's football team will travel for road games next fall. The Ascenders are slated to make two trips to California, one to Louisiana, one to Georgia and have three in-state road games after their schedule was released late last week.
1997
The last time Golden State went into San Antonio and beat the Spurs prior to Sunday's victory, Bill Clinton was still America's president. The Warriors victory also ended San Antonio's 39-game home winning streak while tying the NBA record for wins in a season. That 72nd win matched the Chicago Bulls' feat from the 1995-96 season, and Golden State
can surpass the Bulls with a victory in the regular season finale at home on Wednesday against Memphis.
5,923
Fans who attended the Bradenton Marauders' Florida State League home opener at McKechnie Field on Saturday.
It's also a record, easily shattering the previous all-time mark of 4,644 that was set in 2013. The M's fell 5-1 in the game, but that didn't prevent most of the crowd from sticking it out until the end to see the fireworks show. The M's, the high Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, also offered horse and carriage rides through the parking lot near the clubhouse and photo opportunities with Disney-themed princesses as part of the festivities.
1
National ranking of Miami ASA College's Macarena Olivares, who also suffered her first defeat when State College of Florida's Maria Medina peeled off a 7-5, 7-5 victory in the No. 1 singles final of the state tournament.
That victory helped the Manatees record their third straight state title, and earned the club its sixth consecutive JUCO national tournament appearance. The national tourney is May 7-13 in Tyler, Texas.
Not to be outdone, the softball team won nine straight before a one-run loss in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader. The Manatees are 30-11 and have three straight double headers on the road -- two of which are Suncoast Conference opponents -- before ending the regular season on April 22 at home against the College of Central Florida, who entered the week with a 52-2 record. SCF has clinched a playoff berth, and sits in second place in its conference.
And the baseball team this spring has climbed its way back into the Suncoast Conference title race by winning six straight games entering Monday's action.
That put SCF just two games behind Polk State College.
Jason Dill, sports reporter, can be reached at 745-7017 or via email at jdill@bradenton.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason__Dill and like his Facebook page at Jason Dill Bradenton Herald.
This story was originally published April 12, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Numbers Game | Spring sports hitting playoff gear ."